Uphill sections are, for me, some kind of double edged sword: they're hard to beat, get me tired and slow, but after an uphill there's a delightful downhill section where I can stretch and my legs and drink some water.
The way I go through these sections has a great impact on my performance during the ride and how tired I get after it. So far, I found two ways of doing this:
1 - Sit and keep the cadence you feel confortable with (number of revolutions per time, rhythm) even if it means using lower gears and go slower;
2 - Or lift my butt and use higher gears (keeping the right cadence too).
The main difference I find between these two is what part of me feels more tired: my heart (first method) or my legs (second method).
The first method is ideal for long uphill sections where endurance is required. Since I keep sit, all the effort goes to keep my rhythm. For best use, you should keep your body still (except your legs of course) and follow a straight line.
The second method is best for doing uphill sprints. This way I can use the weight of my body by rocking my hip in each pedal stroke. The reason for using higher gears in this method is because each stroke is much stronger than the first method ones. If you use low gears in method 2, you will feel each stroke being wasted, because the pedal will go down too fast and recoveries will be very hard. I recommend shifting up one or two gears.
Final comment on bike riding:
Training is the key to learn more. Even though effort management and technique are important, knowledge and stamina need training to improve. For me, living in such beautiful place, not far from the sea, is a privilege and a pleasure to be able to ride my bike around here. I guess I'll miss this for the next few months.
